Diver Reviews:    (Please share your own experiences by clicking here!)

02/21/2008 Melissa in Hawaii (Avg: 4.31 Review) - Went snorkeling with my husband and two children (4 and 7). We had a great time and saw a good bit of fish. The scenery and water life are magnificent! The only downside is that is was crowded. We usually prefer a spot more secluded.

12/01/2007 Brian C (Avg: 3.58 Review) - I dove this site 20 years ago and was very disappointed at the decrease in the numbers and variety of fish in the inner reef. It is still a great snorkel and there are occasional turtles that come in. It is crowded most of the time but the park limits the numbers so it is tolerable. There is a fee for non Hawaiian or military, and there is a parking fee, but the cars are secure. We did a dive on the outer reef. This is an easy dive and the fish are unafraid. Some of the fish are quite large and we had a large school of jacks swim around us. We saw some turtles as well. Any new diver could do this dive with ease. Our max depth was 48 feet with most of the dive above 40. While you can walk down to the beach I would recommend paying for the tram. We geared up at the car and then just finished up on the grass by the lifeguard stand. We took the channel, marked by buoys, on the right side of the reef and it was an easy out. To come back follow the cables.

11/18/2007 Gary from Denver (Avg: 3.70 Review) - My first ever Oahu shore dive. I'd have to give it an excellent rating because it's almost perfect for the recreational diver and, if you're into hardcore stuff, the outer reef awaits you. The entry point is about 50yds from the drop off point of the little car which will haul you and your gear down to the base of the crater. It's marked with a dive buoy so it's tough to miss. I would surface swim through the gap (you don't have to crawl over the reef). This is pretty easy to do because the water spills over the reef and exits through this gap (take note of this because it's pretty tough to get back in). Surface swim toward the crater rim. After you get in about 25ft of water you can drop down and enjoy some very nice reef that hasn't been beat to death by the tourists. Once down you'll find two cables. Follow either on to the rim and enjoy the dive. Turtles, squid, all kinds of reef fish. Plan about 300lbs of extra air to get you back through the gap. This is easily the toughest part of the dive. You literally have to bottom crawl to get back in. The only other tough part of this shore dive is getting your tanks from the car to the place where the shuttle picks you up. I'd suggest taking a small luggage cart or something with wheels to get the tanks there. I lugged them but the haul back to the car was a little tough.

10/30/2007 Bill Stohler (Avg: 3.54 Review) - First, let me say that shore access to the 'Toilet Bowl' dive referenced in my 2002 review has been closed for some 5 years. I returned to Oahu diving after a 7-year hiatus of diving Maui and Monterey, CA in 2005. The outer reef here is as good as ever. There are now large schools of jack, still quite a few turtles, occasionally schooling oval squid, and once in a great while, Manta Rays! This appears to be THE spot for rebreather divers. You can follow the cable out of the bay to the right, and dive along the wall for as long as the scrubber will last! I like to do a dive along the cable to 100 feet or so, returning after some 80 to 85 minutes on an 80 cf scuba tank.... lots of others would require 100 to 120+ cf for the same length and depth of dive. Most divers here don't make it past 60 feet, but that's ok, as the Witches Brew has almost as much action, and is only 0 to 30 feet deep! Visitors are required to pay $1 for parking, free admission for residents (something like $5 for visitors), and endure a 15-minute semi-educational video (only required once a year if you sign the sheet afterwards). Even though access is a hassle, to me, the rewards far outweigh the cost.

08/04/2007 Anonymous (Avg: 2.66 Review) - Definitely will not be my first choice for future shore dives. I'll go here again only if ALL other sites are closed. Despite other reviews which said this was a great dive site, our experience wasn't that great. Although they have a trolley to help you get your gear to the beach, you have to pay for it. $1 for each trip up and .50 for each trip down. And, as if that's not bad enough, they charge to transport tanks and or bags. Once we reached the beach, perhaps we entered at the water at the wrong location; however, getting over the reef even at high tide was difficult at best. I literally had to crawl over the reef with my BC fully inflated while trying to avoid doing any damage to the reef. After that, we navigated through the reef maze to reach 25 feet of water. Stick with snorkeling at this site!!

06/17/2007 Melissa (Avg: 3.96 Review) - For beginning snorkelers this is an awesome spot. A little crowded at times, but I really enjoyed myself- until I spotted an eel. Saw some gorgeous fish and didn't have to go very far from shore. For anyone who is a little nervous about the ocean (like me), this is a great place to start. I can't wait to get back out there and go farther out.

12/23/2006 Anonymous (Avg: 2.61 Review) - This is one of the few shore dives available on Oahu in the winter time due to the heavy surf. My daughter and I went to this site in late November 2006 and I was somewhat disappointed. This is because I was at this same location in March 2006 and it seemed much nicer and had many more fish. During this trip the visibility was about 30ft at best and there were few schools of fish. I'm not sure what changed…maybe it was just the time of year. While this is a Nature Preserve area, it has been over populated by too many tourists who have no regard for reef conservation. You have to watch a video about the bay and its rules before you enter the bay. Nonetheless, it's common to see at least one or more tourists standing on the reef even though the video explicitly says "Don't stand on or touch the reef." As a result of the dying reef, fewer fish are coming into the bay. If you are going to SCUBA dive this site, you can get good tips at the information desk located on the beach. The showers and facilities are good. Unless you are training for the Iron man Competition, I recommend paying $2 for the daily unlimited trolley rides. Scuba tanks are an extra dollar or two, but it's well worth not having to lug your tanks up and down the steep hill. Be careful of the surf if you're snorkeling along the left side of the bay just past the reef. The surf can get rather rough there. When a large wave came ashore, my daughter lost her mask and snorkel there, and I almost did also. Luckily we had a backup. Overall, this site is better than nothing in the winter. In the summer, I would head to some of the better sites on the north shore. If you do go to this site, PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE VIDEO AND STAY OFF THE REEF so others can enjoy this site for years to come!!!

12/17/2006 John Hoover (Avg: 3.00 Review) - I just want to comment that the widespread stories about coral being trampled and killed at Hanauma Bay are untrue! The inner reef is a fossil coral reef which died many hundreds of years ago due to a lowering of sea level. It is too shallow and wave-washed now to support much living coral. The existing shallow reef is covered with coralline algae - almost microscopic plants which deposit a veneer of limestone and are actually responsible for most reef-building in Hawaii. This is the plain, brownish, sometimes pinkish stuff that most people think is dead coral. According to the environmental impact statement prepared when the present facilities were built, the present condition of the bay is not due to human impact. Beyond the inner reef where the water is deeper there is LOTS of healthy living coral.

08/23/2006 Austin (Avg: 4.00 Review) - Great snorkeling for the beginner. We used to dive the outer reef, huge schools of ULUA and we have seen tiger sharks up to 14' in about 40' of water.

08/17/2006 Rick from New Tripoli (Avg: 3.19 Review) - With just a day on Oahu in early August 2006, we dropped into Hanauma Bay for a snorkel. What a beautiful place! But the coral really is damaged and despite the educational efforts, people still walk on it. If you get to the outside of the reef in 15-25 feet of water there are some nice large coral formations and some good soft coral. There are turtles on the outside, too. On the plus side, the fish are unafraid everywhere, so you get some good up-close views of normally skittish ones like butterfly fish. The current can be a bit strong while trying to get back in. There are two major gaps to get out beyond the reef: one about mid-beach and the other to the extreme west. At high tide it is possible to go over the reef, but be careful not to touch.

06/03/2006 Lynlee (Avg: 3.27 Review) - Since I am returning to Hawaii in 2007, I thought I would check in on this site. I have to say I am tempted to return to Hanauma Bay as it was lovely above and below the water when I was there in 2004, but the devastation happening to reef is heart breaking. Despite an educational film in several languages that was required watching, literally dozens of people were standing and walking on the reefs, and laughing loudly about it. I am always the first person to rag on American tourists, but I have to say it was the international tourists that were the worst. It also got really crowded and slicked with suntan lotion. I wonder if it is best to get there first thing in the AM. I cannot imagine how this must have been before it was damaged and abused. There should be heavy fines for stepping and walking on the coral - they would make a fortune. I guess you should go because one day this will be completely destroyed if there are not measures taken to stop the abusive visitors.

04/28/2006 Laura (Avg: 3.53 Review) - It was my first time ever snorkeling and I think that I picked a great place to learn. I was out in the water for an hour at a time. I went out 3 times, and each time I went out a little farther. On the last time out, I went the farthest, but on the way back the water started to get cloudy from all of the visitors. I really wanted to see the turtles but we didn't see any. I will definitely revisit next time I am in Hawaii.

03/28/2006 Henry in Toronto (Avg: 4.46 Review) - One of my highlights of 18 day Hawaii trip!!! Bay is AWESOME!!! The Reef fish AWESOME!!! I will be back....

03/16/2006 Mark Pidcoe (Avg: 3.76 Review) - This is a guide to my favorite entry and dive area. Go along the left side towards Toilet Bowl, about 50 yds past the arch you will see a natural wash basin at the base of the cliff. Look right and notice the natural staircase sloping inland. Enter and Exit here. Water depth is 20-35' so lots of bottom time. Stay within 50yds of the shoreline for the best coral and critter viewing. I have never had vis less than 80' in this location and the marine life is fantastic with butterflies, angel fish, turtles, tangs and eels, as well as the occasional lobster and octopus. Long walk from the beach but well worth it. Fantastic snorkeling for more experienced snorkelers. When I was stationed on Oahu this was where I took all my visitors for snorkeling. Best time is mid-Fall thru mid-Spring when the predominate surf is from the North Pacific. Skip in Summer due to Southern swell.

02/02/2005 Mike Lieberman (Avg: 4.14 Review) - For a beginner this is a wonderful place. A well equipped state(?)run park - $5 entry. Took the bus from Waikiki. Snorkel rentals on site at the beach. Beautiful beach, reef, grassy area, shade, some picnic tables. Bring a picnic and make a day of it.

10/31/2004 Brian McLean (Avg: 3.25 Review) - You have to pay to get in, and pay to get your tanks transported down to the water (you are not carrying them that far) and then pay to get them transported up. It isn't that much, but there are a lot of good diving places on the island. This is a good place to go if you are going with snorkelers. More to see if you swim way out, but much of the reef has been ruined by ignorant tourists.

09/09/2004 Seth Bareiss (Avg: 3.88 Review) - This is an excellent place... THE place... to dive and snorkel on O'ahu. I'd particularly recommend that introductory divers try SNUBA there. (SNUBA is like Scuba, hut with much less equipment. The tank is in a rubber canoe, and air runs through a hose down to the diver's regulator.) It's a lot less stressful than intro diving in full SCUBA gear. Beginner divers and snorkelers should enjoy the knee-depth to 12-foot depth of the "keyhole" area, the coral-rimmed sandy area on the extreme east side of the sandy beach. Beginners and snorkelers should stay clear of the narrow opening there between the inner reef and the area beyond the wave break, because the current's strong there. Advanced divers will follow Bill's advice on this page. Bring a Fuji quick snap recyclable snorkeling camera. Try not to stir up the bottom, and DO NOT STAND ON THE REEF. The reef there is 90% dead from snorkelers standing on it. The fish are accustomed to being fed bread, frozen peas, and real (environmentally OK) fish food. Near the beach, in waist-high water, silver chub may overwhelm you in a feeding frenzy. Do NOT touch or even influence the swimming of the turtles, as they are very thoroughly protected by law, and they're easily stressed-out AIR BREATHERS. The bay is closed on Tuesday mornings, for cleaning. The bay may also be closed to tourists on weekends. Ignore tour agents who try to sell van-rides to the bay from Waikiki. However, it can be VERY difficult to get parking at the Bay. Two alternatives: 1) take the 30-minute public bus ride from Waikiki (grab a $10, 7-day public bus unlimited ticket, at a convenience store !) or 2) park in the Hawaii Kai shopping center and take the public bus up to the bay (or make the long walk).

07/12/2004 Don (Avg: 3.62 Review) - Outstanding! Steep hill to beach, trolley available ($4.00 per tank) Turtles, sharks, lots of fish. Nice protected bay.

06/11/2004 Sharon L. Ward (Avg: 5.00 Review) - Went to Hanauma Bay, O'ahu for my first time - May 2004. I have never snorkeled before - went two times during my week there. My sons sent me to Honolulu, HI for my 50th birthday gift - one son lives there and the other flew in from Texas. (Got to spend a week with them!) In my 50 years - I have not done anything as fun and also the beauty of the fish and reefs was tremendous. I took a underwater camera both trips snorkeling - each time using the whole roll of film - got some pretty good shots of the beautiful fish and coral/reef. The water was clear and plenty of species of sea creatures. I live in San Diego California - and the water here is not near as beautiful as Hanauma Bay or any water in Hawaii. (But I might say that Coronado here in San Diego did win the number 10 place in the US for 2004 - and it is a beautiful beach!) I have also downloaded as my desktop back ground on my computer at work - a view of Hanauma Bay - just for the memories..... so beautiful! My trip to Hanauma Bay is all I talk about now - was a trip of a life time for me! Hope go back soon!

02/08/2004 Mark N (Avg: 3.29 Review) - Spent 4 days here Jan/Feb '04. Excellent time. Saw the following barracuda (I'm pretty sure didn't stick around to ask) eel (2x), scribbled (beautiful pictures don't do it justice) and barred filefish, stripe belly puffer, stocky hawkfish, pearl bird, x-mas, belted and Hawaiian cleaner wrasses, lei and picasso triggerfish, tons of surgeonfish butterfly fish and tangs, orange and blue spine unicorn fish. All this inside the reef the water was rough when I was there. Sandman's Patch and the rocky area just in front of it providing best action. They need to ban or discourage the use of flippers inside the reef next. Visibility gets killed by them as they day goes on and you really don't need them. Proven to me by the fact that Sandman's patch which was too far and rough for most of the real tramplers to get to and kick up. Hope to get outside next time as I did in '03. One of my favorite places on earth. Coral is coming back in the rocky crevices inside; got some good pics of that, too.

01/01/2004 Ed (Avg: 4.79 Review) - We will return in Dec 2004 for our 4th visit to Hawaii (1978; 1998; 2002). Diamond Head and Hanauma Bay are our fav spots. The snorkeling is tranquil with plenty of sea-life. Staff is fantastic, equipment clean.

11/12/2003 Anonymous (Avg: 3.60 Review) - It was pretty cool! We saw lots of sea turtles. The water was really cloudy until you get way past the reef.

07/03/2003 Anonymous (Avg: 4.56 Review) - We had never snorkeled before and there can't be a better place to learn. If you stay inside the wave breaker, there is no current or waves to contend with. The visibility was great and fish were everywhere. We went early on a Sunday morning so the crowd was very small. It was a great experience for everyone who went.

02/02/2003 Anonymous (Avg: 3.92 Review) - We had a blast here only had to go a couple of feet from shore to see lots of large fish. Great site for beginners; all of us were. Couldn't believe how many varieties we saw; the Sea Turtle was the highlight. Recommend to all.

07/28/2002 Bill Stohler (Avg: 3.11 Review) - There are generally two dives I like to do here. For the first, walk along the beach until you are in front of the second orange life guard tower. Then head straight into the ocean (look for a gap between the rocks on the surface) and follow the old telephone cable out to sea (the current through the notch can make returning difficult). For a deeper, longer dive, follow the cable on out to deeper water. I usually don't drop until I'm in 20 feet or so, so that I can explore the outer part of the bay (watch for current the farther out you go). Great topography, marine life, reef structures to the right side, especially once you've rounded the corner. Can dive in excess of 100 feet. Left side: When the ledge is open for walking (it's often closed due to large waves breaking on the lava trail leading to the 'Toilet Bowl'), I hike all the way past the Toilet Bowl to a small channel just before the point and do a giant stride. Watch the waves here (potentially deadly). Great wall that drops to 70+ feet on the left side, but once again, there is often a strong current (not for a beginner). The wall has some shallow caves that warrant exploring. After you're done on the outside, I like to return by crossing the bay and end up coming back through the telephone cable channel. Elsewhere, you're likely to end up stuck on top of the very shallow reef, depending on the tide! Some of the best reef structure on Oahu is found in and around Hanauma Bay.

07/13/2002 Dave CO (Avg: 4.17 Review) - This site is by far the best snorkeling site I have been to (which includes various Oahu sites, a lot of Southern California sites, including Catalina Island, and the Florida Keys) . A must-dive for beginner scuba divers (I got certified here). Drawbacks--they charge 3 bucks I think it was to go down to the beach. Parking can be full, so you might have to park at the grocery store 3/4 of a mile or so West of the bay and walk up a hill---not recommended for scuba divers with gear.

05/16/2002 Sabot Ranger (Avg: 3.82 Review) - This site is perfect for the diver to bring non-diving snorkelers to share the experience. You can share the same sights and discussions of sealife. Bring a cart to schlep the gear to the bus down the hill or wear it. I don't like the wear and tear of wearing my BCD that far and I like 2 tanks at one site so I carry it all down and back up. But it is a haul. Go early or late to avoid crowds. Limited numbers are allowed in so get there before 8:30am. Go out past the surfline on the left side as you look to sea and meander right. Next dive go deep and circle back. Your snorkel friends can follow above you on the shallow dive, but wear at least a skin to protect the reef and probably a shorty as it is chilly. Turtles galore, every species of Hawaiian sealife you can imagine. Great place for non-divers to snorkel and feel like they dived seeing everything you would; visibility is great! Don't break the mouth of the cove as you can get swept out deep.

05/08/2002 Wayne Belk (Avg: 3.00 Review) - I agree about the effort not being worth the payoff. The hike with equipment, even using the trolley to go down to the beach, is too much work. There are many better shore dives on the island. The surface swim out into the bay is a bit of a pain. The best approach is to time your efforts with the surf. Only kick as the water pulls you out. Pay close attention to rock ledges. You may see some interesting things. My buddy, using the handle of his knife, played a gentle tug-of-war with an octopus. The little guy looked like he enjoyed the game, but didn't really want to come out of his hiding space.

01/16/2002 Sharon Chappell (Avg: 2.85 Review) - We must have visited on an unusual day. It was very difficult to kick past the surf without getting smashed against the reef. Almost called the dive but kept going. It was too much work for little reward that day. Not many fish and viz wasn't great - 40 ft maybe.

01/10/2002 Rick Wyatt (Avg: 3.46 Review) - Reluctantly tried this site 01/02 because it was too rough to dive in other sites. Luckily found someone who dives this bay often as a photographer and got his advice. We walked along right side of bay along rock ledge almost to Witches Brew point. Snorkeled out and away from beach until found the cable which runs along bottom. Followed cable until it crosses a sandy spot from one reef to another. At the far end of this second reef we descended to 55ft. This is where we saw 6 sea turtles. Followed cable back to shore. Most divers don't go far enough in following cable from shore. Get away from the crowd and see the turtles!

01/02/2002 Glenn Gunter (Avg: 4.35 Review) - Staging your gear is a bit of work, but well worth it. Lots of turtles, cuttlefish, and Moray eels. Big crowds of sunbathers and snorkelers, but not overbearing. Friendly atmosphere and great facilities. Tram/Trolley is moderately priced.

07/26/2001 Luke VanValkenburg (Avg: 3.62 Review) - This is a tourist destination. A must go for snorkeling. The down sides are. You must pay to park. You must pay to enter the beach. Its a very steep and long walk down to the beach. You can take a trolley but they charge you for that also and they charge you even more if you have scuba gear. Very big crowds. It's a very fun place to take visitors but it's to much trouble and work to go diving..

05/21/2001 Dale (Avg: 3.08 Review) - I have snorkeled here many times. The diversity of animal life is quite good and colorful. Being a marine sanctuary, it seems that the animal life truly knows and enjoys their safety, so very little is hidden. For a beginner, especially, this is an exceptionally great place to visit. The only real drawbacks are the crowds and the limited access.

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